[Intro: Denzel Washington from American Gangster]
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“Most important thing in business is honesty, integrity, hard work, family;
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Never forgetting where we came from.”
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[Verse 1: Jay-Z]
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Poor me, Dad was gone, finally got my dad back
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Liver bad, he wouldnt live long, that snatched my dad back
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Guidance? I never had that, streets was my second home
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Welcomed me with open arms, provided a place to crash at
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A place to study math at – matter of fact, I learned it all
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Burnt it all, this music is where I bury the ashes at
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Flashback, not having much, not having that
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Had to get some challah bread, so you can holla back, and
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Holla at my Jewish lawyer, to enjoy the fruit of letting my cash stack
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And just in case a nigga gotta use his rat-tat-tat-tat-tat
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Own boss, own your masters, slaves
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The mentality I carry with me to this very day
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Fuck rich, lets get wealthy, who else gon feed we?
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If I need it, Ima get it however – God help me
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[Refrain: Jay-Z]
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And I dont need no hook for this shit
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[Verse 2]
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Im so fa sho, its no façade
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“Stay out of trouble,” Mama said, as Mama sighed
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Her fear, her youngest sond be a victim of homicide
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But I gotta get you out of here, Mama, or Ima die
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Inside
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And either way, you lose me, Mama, so let loose of me
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I got the rein, our direction will soon change
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To live and die in N.Y. in the hustle game
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Hustle ‘caine, hustle clothes, or hustle music
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But hustle hard in any hustle that you pick
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Skinny nigga, toothpick, but–but I do lift
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Weight like Im using ‘roids
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Rolls-Royce, keep my movements smooth while maneuvering
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Through all the manure in the sewer that I grew up in
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Choices we make, trying to escape, ‘scape
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[Refrain: Jay-Z]
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And I dont need no hook for this shit
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[Verse 3: Jay-Z]
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This is not for commercial usage
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Please dont categorize this as music
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Please dont compare me to other rappers
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Compare me to trappers, Im more Frank Lucas than Ludacris
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And Ludas my dude, I aint tryna diss
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Like, Frank Lucas is cool, but I aint trying to snitch
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Ima follow the rules, no matter how much time Ima get
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Ima live and die with the decisions that Ima pick
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So fuck DeHaven for caving, thats why we dont speak
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Made men aint supposed to make statements
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End of the story, I followed the code, cracked the safe
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Other niggas aint in the game, so they practice hate
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Leave that boy Hov alone, why dont cha?
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You dont have to if you dont want to, but dont say I didnt warn you
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[Refrain: Jay-Z]
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Oh… and I dont need no hook for this shit!
